Anti-caking dispenser valve



May 15, 1962 J. c- JANQUART ANTI-CAKING DISPENSER VALVE Filed Dec. 51.1957 fig I 77 a71Z z1z? N um/zr c. win/ 20,447 /2 .32 27 I United StatesPatent 3,034,761 ANTI-CAKING DISPENSER VALVE Jerry C. Janquart, McHenry,Ill., assignor to The Dole Valve Company, Morton Grove, 111., acorporation of Illinois Filed Dec. 31, 1957, Ser. No. 706,526 3 Claims.(Cl. 251-210) This invention relates to methods and apparatus fordispensing liquids, such for example as detergents and the like and moreparticularly relates to a device especially suitable for use inanautomatic washing machine.

Dispensers of various types have heretofore been used to add detergentsbleach, fabric conditions, and the like to the wash water of anautomatic washing machine under the cyclic control of the machine.

It has since been found that if air can be excluded from the cleansingagent, or the like, during storage and if the cleansing agent. isdispensed from an air tight container the normal deterioration andgummingup of the cleansing agent in the dispenser can be avoided. Hence,an air tight collapsable cleansing agent storage container has beendeveloped to effect this improvement.

It has also been found that in liquid dispensers having an outletexposed to the atmosphere, a crust of solidified fluid often formsthereon with the result that such encrustation interferes with theoperation of the dispensing device. It has, as a result, been foundadvantageous to provide a means for breaking loose this encrustation,thereby enhancing the operation of the dispenser.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention toprovide a novel method and means for controlling the flow of liquidsfrom a dispenser.

It is a further object of this invention to provide, in a liquiddispenser, a novel means for breaking loose the encrust-ation which maybe formed at the outlet of the dispenser.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a novel andimproved form of liquid dispenser in which the means operable to openand close the outlet to the dispenser is also arranged to break looseany encrustation of solidified fluid which may be formed at the outletto the dispenser.

That type of device with which applicants novel device may be associatedis fully described in co-pending application Serial N0. 690,789 nowPatent Number 2,919,052 wherein the applicant is a joint inventor andwhich has been assigned to the same assignee as the present invention.

The foregoing and further objects of the invention will become apparentfrom time to time as the following specification proceeds and withreference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through applioantsnovel device showing some parts in section and others in sideelevations; and

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of the structureshown in FIGURE 1 and showing the valve in an open position.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, there isshown a container for containing fluid to be dispensed mounted'on anoutlet boss 11 of a valve block 12 by means of a sealing ring 13. Ahollow chamber 14 in the valve block 12 and a second hollow chamber 15in a solenoid block 16 are aligned with one another to form an outletchamber generally designated at 17.

A well known form of electrically energizable solenoid 18 is mounted onthe solenoid block 16 and is rigidly secured thereto. The solenoidincludes, of course, a longitudinally reciprocally movable armature 19which is arranged to be moved upwardly within the armature cylinder 20upon electrical energization of the solenoid coil 21 and which isarranged to be moved longitudinally extensibly from the armature chamber20 by a return spring 22. Such a device is well known and old in the artand, as a result, will not be herein described further in detail.

A but-tom 23 which may be formed separately or integrally with thearmature 19 is arranged to be secured to the upper end portion of aflexible valve member 25. The flexible outlet valve 25 includes a shank26 the lower end portion of which is arranged to snugly fit the innercircumference of an outlet port 27 from the outlet chamber 17 which isformed in a slightly bowed out portion 28 of the valve 12.

An annular flexible diaphragm 30 formed integrally with the shank 26extends laterally therefrom and has a beaded portion 31 at its outerperiphery which is arranged to be received within an annular channel 32formed in the upper surface of the valve block 12.

A second laterally extending flange 33 formed integral-ly with the shank26 and having a depending ring 34 is arranged to seat against the lowersurface of the outlet chamber 17 when the armature 19 is in the positionshown in FIGURE 1.

It will now become apparent that the depending ring 34 is arranged toprovide a fluid tight seal at the outlet from the valve body when thesolenoid armature 19 is in the position shown in FIGURE 1 and that anyencrustation of solidified fluid will be broken away from the outletwhen the armature is in its retracted position and the valve member 25is in the position shown in FIGURE 2.

Furthermore, the flexible diaphragm 30 will prevent any encrustation ofsolidified fluid from forming around the movable armature 19 and willprotect the moving parts of the solenoid 18 from the fluid to bedispensed.

This novel device is, of course, advantageous in that it provides asimple and economical means for increasing the efficiency of a liquiddispensing device (particularly that type of liquid dispenser which isarranged to dispense detergents and the like) by breaking loose anyencrustation of solidified fluid which may be formed at the outlet tothe valve and thereby preventing any caking of solidified fluid at thatoutlet.

'It should be understood that this embodiment of the invention has beenused for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications andvariations of the present invention may be effected without departingfrom the novel spirit and scope of the concepts thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a liquid dispensing valve including a valve body having a chamber,an inlet and an outlet opening to said chamber, the improvement of meansfor preventing liquid solidification at said outlet and for controllingliquid flow therethrough comprising: a valve plug having an outerdiameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of said outlet, anannular outwardly projecting resilient flange connected to and extendingtransversely to said plug and having an axially projecting annularsurface thereon facing said outlet and engageable with the inner surfaceof said valve body adjacent but slightly radially outwardly spaced fromsaid outlet to shut-off liquid flow through said outlet, and means foreffecting axial movement of said plug into and out of said outlet tocontrol liquid flow through said outlet.

2. In a liquid dispensing valve including a valve body having a chamber,an inlet and an outlet opening to said chamber, the improvement of meansfor preventing liquid solidification at said outlet and for controllingliquid flow therethrough comprising: a valve plug formed of resilientmaterial and having an outer diameter substantially equal to the innerdiameter of said outlet, an annular outwardly projecting resilientflange formed integrally with said plug and extending transverselythereto and having an axially projecting annular surface thereon facingsaid outlet and engageable with the inner surface of said valve bodyadjacent but slightly radially outwardly spaced from said outlet toshut-01f liquid flow through said outlet, a valve actuator connected tosaid valve plug for efiecting axial movement of said plug into and outof said outlet to control liquid flow through said outlet, and meanscomprising an integral portion of said plug for scaling 011 said valveactuator from the liquid within said valve body to preventmalfunctioning thereof.

3. In a liquid dispensing valve including a valve body having a chamber,an inlet and an outlet port opening to said chamber, the improvement ofmeans for preventing liquid solidification at said outlet port and forcontrolling liquid flow therethrough comprising: a valve plug having anouter diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of said outletport and positionable within said port so that it extends entirelytherethrough, an annular outwardly projecting resilient flange connectedto and extending transversely to said plug and having an axiallyprojecting annular surface facing said outlet and 4 engageable with theinner surface of said valve body adjacent but slightly radiallyoutwardly spaced from said outlet port to shut off liquid flow throughsaid outlet port, and means for effecting axial movement of said pluginto and through and out of said outlet port to control liquid flowtherethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS169,817 Locke Nov. 9, 1875 250,405 Van Vie Dec. 6, 1881 669,146 PorteousMar. 5, 1901 1,020,076 Bowser Mar. 12, 1912 1,793,396 Haentjens Feb. 17,1931 1,964,921 Lundberg July 3, 1934 2,394,911 Griswold Feb. 12, 19462,444,471 Samiran July 6, 1948 2,506,837 Kochner May 9, 1950 2,727,715Tuthill Dec. 20, 1955 2,734,773 Ivins Feb. 14, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS2,173 Great Britain Feb. 6, 1891 315,687 Switzerland Oct. 15, 1956

